Category Archives: story

John’s backstory

(Sunday sermon spoiler alert!) There is a backstory to today’s gospel. Luke gives us lots of context: who was ruling where, and had been for how long; he gives us a snapshot of the political situation, the state of the … Continue reading

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A prophet without honour

Two brothers grew up a few years apart. They were close for a time, but grew somewhat apart. They moved in different circles. The elder brother worked hard and achieved some recognition, even notoriety. Every so often the younger brother … Continue reading

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An hour with the Spirit

At church, we are reading Martha Grace Reese’s book, Unbinding your Heart, part of her Unbinding the Gospel series. It includes a forty-day prayer journal to follow individually as a group (as it were), praying the exercises each day and … Continue reading

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Diolch, Dillwyn

One day, I ran into the vicar somewhere between the church and the vicarage. I would have been around fifteen or sixteen, I suppose – there’s a lot I don’t remember about that time. Over the past few months (I … Continue reading

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Working Mother

I know that I should know better than to wade into murky water, but over the past week, there’s been a lot of talk about work, motherhood, and how they fit together. I am not going to tell you what … Continue reading

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Feed her with love

A child went to stay for the first time with her aunt. Her aunt was anxious that the weekend should go well, and she was not made any less anxious by the child’s mother’s insistence that, “You must tell her … Continue reading

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A Mothering Sunday Story

When my mother was younger, she worked as a nursery assistant in an assessment unit for children with various educational needs. When I had days off school, I got to go help out, and fall in love with the children. … Continue reading

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Usual saints

“Sometimes, I wish I had a cool saint story. Something like Christopher, who carried the Christ child without knowing it, and nearly got crushed, drowned and dead for his trouble. Or George, killing the dragon and getting the girl (did … Continue reading

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A prayer life or une vie de priere?

The past two weeks I’ve been constantly on the move (or so it’s seemed). First, to the centre of England and a quiet village and a quaint cottage filled to the rafters with family; then a few glorious days in … Continue reading

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Where you go, I will go

It’s Easter Monday, and this is, perhaps, a story more about restoration than resurrection; but here is Naomi’s story as told at the Great Vigil of Easter at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, yesterday morning, Easter 2011: It’s hard to … Continue reading

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